Automatic valve



T.s. HARRIS AUTOMATIC VALVE Filed Nov. 20. 1922 Nov. 9 1926.

Patented Nov. 9, 1926.

unirse TES TI-IADDEUS S. HARRIS, OF WAVERLY, ILLTNOIS.

AUTOMATIC VALVE.

Application filed November 20, 1922. Serial No. 602,236.

This improvement relates to a modication of the construction previouslyshown and described in my Patent No. 1,433,007, oet. sa, 1922.

The object of this invention is to provide automatic means whereby oneautomatic electric pump may be used to supply two separate water systemsfrom two correspending separate sources.

Some of the advantages of this construction over my former one are thatit provides a more compact and simple construction, it combines theplunger and diaphragm of my former construction into one element whichis connected into the discharge line from a pump in such a manner thatthe variations in the pressure in the different portions of thedischarge line cause it to move to operate the valves, eliminating thenecessity of a spring member to move the three-way intake valve in onedirection. This construction also eliminates the necessity of checkvalves in the discharge lines and provides a built in automatic feedback check valve which compensates for any leakage back through thevalves of the pump, thereby preventing the pump starting at frequentintervals, in case of such leakage.

The two water systems which are supplied by this valve may consist oftwo pipe lines with faucets, or, two storage tanks, or one storage tankfor `soft water and a pipe line and faucet for obtaining hard water, ora tank for hard water and a pipe line and faucet for obtaining softwater, or, with the use of a check valve in the well water dischargeline, two tanks and a fresh well water service line.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawing which shows a horizontalsection through the median line, this valve comprises a three-way intakevalve A and a three-way discharge portion B. The tubular casing of theintake end has port E. which is to be connected to the intake to thepump, port C which is to beconnected to the Well, and port D, which isto be connected to the cistern, said pump, well, and cistern not beingshown in the drawing'. Valve F is fixedly attached to rod G and opensthe passage from cistern to pump when the rod G moves to the right.Valve H is preferably slidably mounted on rod G being normally held inclose proximity to sleeve I by coil J. It at least approximately closesthe passage from the well to the pump when rod Gr moves to the right,but should it seat before valve K is seated, it allows the rod G tocontinue to move to the right until discharge valve K closes withoutencountering any resistance from member J.

Rod G extends through packing gland M to diaphragm chamber L, beinglixedly attached to diaphragm N. One side of diaphragm chamber has anintake port R, which is to be connected to the discharge line from thepump, a discharge port S, which is to be connected to the hard watertank or hard water service line, not shown` and a discharge passage T,that is to be connected to the soft water tank or a soft water serviceline, not shown. A valve U in this passage is normally held closed by aspring V. Tf this valve is to be used with a soft water service lineconnected to port T spring V is preferably adjusted so that there islittle or no pressure on valve U when it is seated, but if the valve isto be used with a tank connected to port T, spring V is adjusted to putsome pressure on valve U when it is seated. A' passage W connects thepassage T to the opposite side lof the diaphragn chamber.

A valve K is iiXedly mounted on rod G so that when rod G moves to theright port S is closed, valve K seating under `more or less pressure,which is communicated to it by rod G from diaphragm N. If this valve isto be used with only a service line and faucet connected to port T valveK is preferably made of somewhat greater diameter than when they valveis to be used with a tank connected to this port.

Should it be desired to use a pipe line and faucet connected to port S,instead of a tank, this does not affect the working of this valve in anymaterial way, except that the automatic feed back check is theninoperative.

Tn operation diaphragm N is the oper* ating element, being moved totheright or left as the pressures vary on its two sides. In so movingvalves H and F and also valve K are operated. For instance, if, whenusing this valve with two service lines, the soft water faucet isopened, the pump -is caused to start, by the drop inl pressure, anddischarge water through valve U and passage T. Since there is a dropinpressure at valve U there is an excess of pressure thrown against theleft side ofl the diaphragm N which causes it to move to the right,closing valve H and opening valve F so that water is drawn from thecistern, and after passing through the pump, is discharged through portR and passage T, to the soft water service line.

It, when using` service pipe lines from ports S and T, the hard waterfaucet is opened, the pump starts and throws a pressureinto thediaphragm chamber L. Since passage 'll has no outlet and there ispractically no resistance to a small tlow through valve V, the pressureson the two sides or diaphragm L remain the same, rl`here is however adrop in pressure at valve l which causes it to move to the lett, movingrod G and valves ll and F to put'the pump suction line intocommunication with the well.

lt, when using two tanks connected to ports S and T, the pump is put inoperation with no pressure in either tank (not shown) and the parts inthe position shown, a slight pressure is produced on the lett side ofthe diaphragm since port S is rather limited in capacity Yand valve U isclosed under a slight lressure ont spring V. This pressure immediatelythrows Vthe diaphragm to the right closing valves K and H and opening'valve F. Cistern water is then drawn and discharged through valve U tothe soft water tank. Since the pressure on the right side of diaphragm Nis always the same as that above valve U, being in communication throughpassage W, there is an excess of pressure on its lett side so long asthe pump is in operation lsince there is a drop in pressure of abouttive pounds per square inch at valve U. Since the diameter of theeffective portion ot the diaphragm is very much greater than that ofport S minus rod G, a comparatively slight drop in pressure at valvewill hold valve K closed, even though there is no pressure in the hardwater tank and a high pressure in the diaphragm chamber, although itthis difference becomes too great and valve K opens a little, thepressure on the left side of the diaphragm drops instantly and thepressure in the sott water tank, exerting its influence through passagelfi, throws diaphragm N to the lett, opening valves K and H and closingvalve F. `When the pressure in the hard water tank becomes somewhatgreater than that in the sott water tank the diaphragm N again moves tothe right, practically instantly, since when valve l commences to closethe pressure on the lett side of the diaphragm cham ber increasesrapidly, until valve K is entirely closed and valve l is thrown open bythe rise in pressure under it. llilhen the soft water tank is filled tothe cutting out point of the switch the pump stops and the valve Ucloses, preventing any return ot the water lroni the. sott water tank tothe hard water tank while the pump is idle.

In case the pressure in the hard water tank should exceed that in thesoft water tank the diaphragm N moves to the right closing valve K andpreventing any ilow from the hard water tank to the sott water tank whenthe pump is idle.

A special advantage or" this construction is that should there be aleakage past the pump valves the pump is not caused to start atJfrequent intervals as it would be it ordinary check valves were used inthe discharge lines, between the valve and the tanks, for valve loperates as an automatic feed back check which, while preventing a ilowfrom the hard water tank to the sott water tank while the pump is idle,yet opens to allow a flow from the hard water tank to the main dischargeline to compensate for leakage past the pump valves. rlhis automaticmovement oi valve l is caused by the pressure on the lett side ot thediaphragm falling below that on the right side, which latter, with thesott water tank well filled, is much greater than the pressure at whichthe automatic cut out-causes the pump to start.

l claim as new:

l. ln. an automatic valve the combination or" a three-way valvecomprising a casing with two transverse partitions, openings'in saidpartitions, a rod extending through said openings, valves on said rodand adapted to close or open said openings, a diaphragm' chamber linedlyattached to said three way valve casing, a diaphragm in said chamber, apacking gland between said diaphragm chamber and said three-way valvecasing through which said rod extends, said rod being iixedly attachedto said diaphragm, an intake port in one side of said diaphragm chamber,a discharge passage one end of which communicates with said intake port,a valve in this end of the passage, `a spring which normally holds saidvalve closed, an opening trom said passage communicating with that sideof the diaphragm chamber that is opposite to said intake port, a discharge opening from that side of the diaphragm chamber that has theintake opening, a valve in said port, said valve being operablyconnected to said diaphragm.

2. In an automatic valve, the combination of a chamber, a movablepartition in said chamber, an intake port into said chamber on one sideot said movable partition, said portbeing adapted to be connected to thedischarge port from a`pump, asecond passage from said side ot saidchamber, said passage being adaptedv to be connected to a pipe line, avalve in said passage, said valve being operably connected to saidpartition and being of materially less diameter than said partition andclosing said passage at certain times so that there is no communicationbetween said pipe line and said chamber, a third passage from said sideof said chamber, said passage beingadapted to be connected to a secondpipe line, a valve in said passage, said valve being independent of saidmovable partition but opening away from said chamber and against ayieldable resistance, a passage from said chamber on that side of saidmovable partition that is opposite from said intake passage, said passage being adapted to be put in communication with said second pipeline, a valve assembly adapted to be connected into the intake supply tosaid pump, said valve assembly being operably connected to said movablepartition. f

3. ln a duplex automatic valve fan automatic feed back check valvecomprising a diaphragm chamber, a diphragm in said chamber, a passagefrom one side of said chamber adapted to be connected to the dis chargeline from a pump, another passage from this side ot said chamber adaptedto be connected toa storage reservoir, a valve in said passage, saidvalve being operably connected to said diaphragm, said valve, whenclosed cutting oit all communication between said tank and saiddiaphragm chamber and a passage from the other side of said Vdiaphragmchamber adapted to put that side of the diaphragm chamber in directcommunication with a second storage reservoir.

4:. In an automatic valve a suction chamber, and a distributing chamber,a movable partition in said distributing chamber, said movable partitionbeing operably connected to a valve assembly in the said suctionchamber, an intake port into that portion of said distributing chamberthat is on one side of said movable partitiom'two discharge passagesfrom this portion of said distributing 5. In an automatic valve, a valveshifter comprising a chamber, a movable partition in said chamber, aninlet passage into one side of said chamber and an outlet passage fromsaid side of said chamber, adapting said chamber to be connected intothe discharge line from a pump, a resistance to the flow through saidoutlet passage, said resistance being so disposed that when said chamberis connected intoy said discharge line, said movable partition is incommunidischarge line that is on one side of said resistance and on theother side by means of a by-pass connection with that portion ofV saiddischarge line that is on the opposite side of said resistance, a secondoutlet passage ro'm said side of said chamber, a poppet type valve andresistance in said passage, said valve and resistance being operablyconnected to said movable partition.

THADDEUS S. HARRIS.

cation, on one side, with that portion of said y

